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Phyllosphere of Eucalyptus viminalis: Dynamics of fungal populations

1985; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 85; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0007-1536(85)80047-4

0007-1536

Daniel Cabral,

Plant Diversity and Evolution

Saprophytic fungal communities of the phyllosphere of Eucalyptus viminalis were studied by serial washing, superficial sterilization and direct observation. On living leaves the fungi form two well-differentiated groups; phylloplane species and endophytes. When the leaf dies, the former colonize the interior but do not completely displace the endophytes. The phylloplane community is similar to that found on other plants but endophytes exhibit host specificity. Both groups show variation in frequency, but whereas phylloplane species show a distinct seasonal pattern, with maxima in autumn-winter and minima in summer, directly correlated with humidity and inversely with temperature, those of the interior of the leaf exhibit more dependence on age and/or physiological condition of the leaf. Fructification seems to depend as much on season as on leaf age. Most of the endophytic species fruit in autumn-winter on dry leaves attached to the tree and/or on leaf-litter. An ecological classification of non-pathogenic fungi has been elaborated for the phyllosphere fungi of E. viminalis in Argentina.